FED:Gov't won't stand idly by on tax

The federal government won't stand "idly by" while miners wage a $100 million campaign against its proposed super profits tax on the resources sector, Kevin Rudd has told parliament.

The prime minister again defended his government's right to use $38.5 million of taxpayers' money on an advertising campaign aimed at countering the anti-mining tax message.

Fending off savage opposition attacks that he had broken a "rolled-gold" election promise and misled parliament, Mr Rudd countered by accusing the coalition of being much worse in government than Labor.

The government was standing by its "information campaign".

"This government will not stand idly by while a campaign of misinformation is run against a fundamental element of tax reform, Mr Rudd said during parliament's question time on Monday.

The $38.5 million was much less than that purloined from the public purse under the previous Howard government, which spent $420 million to sell its GST and $120 million on Work Choices, he said.

In 2009, the government spent half the amount the Howard government spent on advertising in 2007.

Opposition frontbencher Scott Morrison was suspended from the lower house for one hour after questioning the relevance of Mr Rudd’s answer to a second question on the issue from Mr Abbott.